Apparatus for sharpening lawn-mowers.



No. 664,504. Patented Dec. 25, I900.

G. RICARDO.

APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING LAWN MOWERS.

(Application filed Mar. 7, 1900.|

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No'llodeL) No. 664,604. Patented nod. 25, I900.

a. manna.

APPARATUSFUR SHABPENING LAWN MUWERS.

(Applicltion .fllad Mar. 7. 1900..

'2 Shasta-Sheet 2L (No Modal.)

ijwmwto z gje I 7710 amm o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE RICARDO, OF HAOKENSAOK, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING LAWN-MOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,504, dated December 25, 1900.

Application filed March 7, 1900. Serial No. 7,702. (No model.)-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE RIoARno,acitizen of the United States, residing at Hackensack, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sharpening Lawn-Mowers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for sharpening the cutting mechanism of mowers without requiring the removal of the cutter from the mower, whereby the operation is greatly facilitated and the edges of the blades brought to the same circumferential plane, which is essential to the subsequent effective operation of the mechanism.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof, and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for efiecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and the drawipgs hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved grinding-machine, showing the cutting apparatus of a lawn-mower in position to be sharpened. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a section on the line X X of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the centering device for the shaft of the rotary cutter. Fig. 6 is a detail view of slide. Fig. 7 is a detail section, similar to Fig. 4, on a larger scale,omitting the frame and the parts above the traveling base.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The bed 1 of the machine is mounted upon similarly-constructed end standards 2, whose top sides incline. The standards are footed and secured to a bench, table, or like support 3 and are connected by tie-rods 4, the latter passing through openings formed in the leg .portions of the standards and secured in an adjusted position by means of binding-screws 5. The standards 2 may be spaced apart any required distance, according to the length of blade of the cutting apparatus to be sharpened. Braces 6 are adjustably mounted n pon the tierods 4 and are secured in an adjusted position, by means of binding-screws, in a end standards. These braces dsupport. the tie-rods at an intermediate point and stiifen the structure and prevent undue vibration thereof when in operation. The bed 1 is longitudinally slotted, as shown at 7, to receive the connecting-piece 8 ofa slide 9, held against the lower side of the bed and secured to the base 10 of a frame carrying the actuating mechanism for the grinder and feeder. Ways 11 extend in parallel relation and are located upon opposite sides of the longitudinal slot 7 and are of approximately V form and serve to direct the base 10 in its reciprocating movements and to hold it upon the bed against lateral displacement.

The plate 12 is placed upon the top side of each standard 2 and is depressed to receive 1 the bed 1 and is formed at one end with a pair .of lugs 13, between which is received a rackbar 14:, extending parallel with the bed 1 and spaced therefrom. The plates 12 are held to the top portion of the standards 2 by means of bars 15 and fastening screws or bolts 16, the latter passing through the bars 15 and entering lugs 17, pendent from the plates 12 and working in longitudinal slots 18, formed in the top or inclined portion of the end brackets. Other lugs 19 are pendent from the opposite end portions of the plates 12 and enter the slots 18 and are threaded to receive feed-screws 20, which are connected near their outer ends with the longer legs of the standards by means of a swivel connection. The purpose of the feed-screws 20 is to move the bed and rack-bar across the standards, so as to adjust the grinder transversely with reference to the work and reciprocating movements of the head or frame carrying the actuating mechanism. The bed 1 is secured to each, of the plates 12 by means of clampscrews 21.

The head or frame 22 rising from the base 10 may be of any construction best adapted manner similar to securing the tie-rods to the:

to form a substantial support for the parts comprising the trains of gearing for operating the grinder and the feed mechanism. The grinder 23 may be an emery-wheel, stone, or other material commonly employed for sharpening cutlery and edged tools and is secured to ashaft, which is connected bya train of gearing 24 with the master-wheel 25, to which the power is initially applied. The

train of gearing 24 may comprise any number of gear elements and is constructed for speed, so as to rotate the grinder 23 at a high speed. A gear-wheel 26 is slid-ably mounted upon a shaft or axle 27, projecting from the base 10, and is provided upon its inner side with a-half-clutch 28 and upon its outer side with an annularly-grooved extension 29. pinion 30 is mounted upon the shaft 27 and is at all times in meshing relation with the teeth of the rack-bar 14 and is. provided with a, half-clutch 31 to cooperate with the halfclutch 28, whereby the gear-wheel 26 and pinion 30 may rotate in unison. A train of gearing 32 connects the gear-wheel 26 with the master-wheel and is constructed so as to reduce the speed, whereby the pinion rotates solely, so as not to cause the frame or head to move too rapidly over the bed. A shipper-lever 33 is fulcrumed to a standard 34, rising from a portion of the frame, and its inner end enters the annular groove of the part 29. Upon depressing the outer end of the shipper-lever 33 the gear-wheel 26 is moved outward upon the shaft 27 and. the half-clutch 28 is disengaged from the halfclut-ch 31, whereby the feed mechanism is thrown out of action. A dog 35v is pivoted to the standard 34 and is adapted to be turned so as toengage with one of two shoulders 36-. of the shipper-lever and hold the latterin either of its extreme positions, so as to hold the gear-wheel 26 in or out of gear. When the clutch 28 31 is unshipped, the mechanism for the head is thrown out of action and the grinder 23 can be rotated and willoccupy a, relatively-fixed position with reference to the machine, thereby necessitating the Work being advanced thereto. A crank 37 is operatively connected with the master-wheel 25 and provides a convenient meansv for operating the machine by manual power.

' The slide 9 isin the form of aplate having a centrally-disposed projection 8, which is adapted to operate in the slot 7 of the bed and to which thebase 10 is bolted or otherwise firrmly attached. end portions. of the slide9 are grooved to re.- ceive gibs 38, which are seated therein and which bear against the bottom side of the bed 1, said gibs being adjusted by means of set-screws 39, threaded into the end portions of the, slide. [By this means any lost motion orplay between the bed and the base 10 can be taken up and vibration from this source wholly obviated- It is also possible to use the parts 38 and 39 as clamping means for se feeding blade. motion is imparted to the grinder and feed i mechanism in the manner stated, the head beinggradually advanced to the opposite ends of, the blade as the sharpening, progresses. When the blade hasbeen sharpened throughout its length, the feed mechanism is thrown out of gear by operating the shipper-lever j 33, and the head 22 is; moved back to the 1 starting-point,so as tosharpen the next blade, :which; is brought. in position by turning the rotary cutter upon its-axis, as will be; readily comprehended.

The top sides. of the.

curing the base 10 in any desired position in the length of the bed, it being understood that when the base is stationary the feed mechanism must be thrown out of gear.

Arms 40 have pivotal connection with the standards 2, and their outer ends are provided with centers 41 to engage with and hold the apparatus to be sharpened, said centers consisting of set-screws having their engaging ends pointed either to make direct connection with the shaft of the cutting apparatus or to receive a cup 42 constituting a female center to receive the terminals ofthe shaft when the latter is not adapted to receive the male centers. The pivoted arms 40 are provided intermediate'of their length-with sleeves or apertured bosses 43, in which are adjustably fitted supporting-rods 44, held in place by clamp-screws 45.. By a proper adjustment of the arms 40 with reference to the rods 44 their outer ends may be raised or lowered, as desired. Any suitable means may be employed for pivotally connecting the arms 40 with the. standards 2, and, as shown, the latter are formed with ofistandingears 46, apertured to match with corresponding portions formedat the inner or pivotal ends of the said arms, the overlapping parts being pivotally connected by bolts, or like fastenings. The pivoted and adjustable arms 40 constitute work-holders, since the cutting apparatusis held between the centering de vice thereof.

When it is desired to sharpen the cutting apparatus of a lawn-mower, such as the rotary part, the shaft thereofv is secured between the centering devices 41, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it not being necessary to detach the blades fro m. the arms or either to remove the rotary cutter from. the frame. After the cutting apparatus has been positioned about. as shown in Fig. 1 the head or frame 22' is moved to a position in the length of the bed, so as to bring the! grinder opposite the-extremity of the blade. to: be sharpened, and'the feed-screws 2O areturned,

so as to bring the grinder in contact with the The grinder 37' is now rotated and A rest 47 has adjustable connection: with the head or frame 22 andprojectsbe'yon-d the periphery of thegrinder, so as to extend over the blade being sharpened and hold it in; place during the grinding operation. The tendency of the blade is to move upward. Hence as the head advances alongthe bed the blade is moved upward by-the abrasive action of the grinder thereon, the upward feed of the blade being automatic as well as the longitudinal feed of the grinding mechanism.

When the frame of the mowing-machineis' ceive the bolt 50, by means of which the parts are secured in an adjusted position. I

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a grinding-machine of the character described, a bed, a rack-bar parallel with the bed, a head movable upon the bed and provided with a rotary grinder, a master-wheel, a train of gearing connecting the masterwheel with the grinder, a pinion intermeshing with the teeth of the rack-bar, a reducing train of gearing connecting the masterwheel with the said pinion, a clutch interposed between the pinion and train of gearing, and a shipper-lever constructed to shift the gear-wheel into and out of clutched engagement with said pinion,and means for securing the lever in either position.

2. In a grinding-machine of the characterspecified, end standards, tie-rods connecting said standards, the standards being adj ustable on the tie-rods to vary the distance between them, a bed adjustably supported by the standards, and a head mounted on the bed and provided with a rotary grinder.

3. In a grinding-machine of the character described, end standards, tie-rods connecting said standards, the standards being adjustable on the tie-rods to vary the distance between them, a bed, a rack-bar supported by the standards in parallel relation and adapted to be positively connected therewith in any adjusted position within the range of movement of the standards, a head mounted upon the bed and provided with a rotary grinder, and means cooperating with the rack-bar for effecting a movement of the head upon the bed simultaneously with the action of the grinder, substantially as specified.

4. In a machine of the character described, a support having its top side sloping or inelined transversely with reference to the length of the machine, a bed mounted upon the support, means for adjusting the bed laterally, and a head movable longitudinally upon the bed and laterally therewith and comprising a rotary grinder and actuating mechanism therefor, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine of the character described, a longitudinally-slotted bed, a head mounted upon the bed and adapted to travel thereon and provided with a rotary grinder and actuating mechanism therefor, a slide underlapping the bed and having a portion operating in the longitudinal slot thereof and connected with the aforesaid head, gibs interposed between the bottom side of the bed and the adjacent portions of the slide, and means for adjusting the gibs to take up wear and prevent any play between the head and bed, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination, a longitudinally-slotted bed, a head mounted to travel upon the bed and provided with a rotary grinder and act-uating mechanism therefor, a slide having portions underlapping the bed and a part operating in the slot thereof and connected to the said head, gibs seated in grooves or depressions formed in the top side of the slide, and set-screws for adjusting the gibs, substantially as set forth.

'7. In combination, a support having transverse slots, a longitudinally-slotted bed having pendent portions operating in the transverse slots of the support, means for securing the bed to the support and cooperating with the slots thereof, feed-screws applied to the support and adapted to effect a lateral shifting of the bed, and a head mounted upon the bed to travel longitudinally thereon and provided with a rotary grinder and actuating mechanism therefor, substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine of the character described, asupport havingaslot extendingtransversely of the machine, a plate slidably mounted upon the support and having pendent lugs passing through the slot of the support, means applied to one of the lugs for securing the plate to the support, a feed-screw cooperating with the other lug and with the support, a bed secured to the plate and movable therewith, and a head provided with a grinder and mounted upon the said bed, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination, end supports having their upper portions slotted, plates mounted upon the standards and having pendent lugs, means applied to one of the lugs for securing the plates upon the standards, feed-screws cooperating with the other lugs and having a swivel connection with the standards, a bed secured to the plates and movable transversely therewith, and a head mounted upon the bed to travel thereon and provided with a rotary grinder, substantiallyas set forth.

10. In a grinding apparatus of the character described, end standards, a plate seated on said standards, means for adjusting said plate lengthwise of the standards, said plate being formed with spaced lugs and with a depression, a rack-bar held between the lugs, a bed adjustably secured in said depressions, a head mounted on the bed and provided with a grinder, and feed mechanism for moving said head in relation to the bed.

11. In combination, a support, a framework secured thereto and having suitable grinding mechanism, a supporting-rod bearing on the support, a work-holder having pivotal connection with the framework, said rod having adjustable connection with the work-holder.

12. In combination with a framework pro too vided with a grinding device, a support to' whichthe framework is secured, arms having pivotal connection with the framework and provided at their free ends with centeringdevices, and rods having adjustable connection with the pivoted arms and hearing on said support.

13. In combination with a frame for grinding apparatus, a support to which said frame is secured, arms having pivotal connection with the frame, centering devices having adjustable connection with the free ends of the arms to receive the work, and supportingrods adjustably connected with the arms intermediate their ends and bearing on. said support.

14. In combination with the frame of a grinding apparatus, a support therefor, an

adjustable work-holder connected with the frame, and posts adj ustably cooperating with the work-holder and bearing on said support,

said "posts passing through the work-holder intermediate its ends.

15. In a grinding apparatus of the character described,end standards relatively adj ustable toward and from each other, a bed adjustably su pportedby the standards andcari rying the grinding mechanism, arms having pivotal connection with the end standards and provided at their ends with means for supporting the work, and means cooperating with the pivoted arms to hold them in adj usted position, said means comprising posts adj 11stably connected with the arms and bearing on a separate support,

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE RICARDO.

Witnesses:

JOHN QUACKENBUSH, HUBERT G. DE WOLFs 

